The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim The Tale of Krasva
by LegateWaldron
Summary: The story of my Skyrim character, with some added bits and twists not in the game. Uses actual script from the game
1. Chapter 1 Unbound

Chapter 1

Unbound

It was the constant bumping up and down that finally shook me awake. The world came into focus groggily as I lifted my head. I shivered. I had no idea where I was but it was cold. I looked up and saw mountains above me. Strange, I thought. Where I was last there had been no mountains. I looked down and realised that my hands were tied. Nothing new there. I was usually in some form of trouble. Though sometimes I am quite a valiant and brave person I've been told. I realised that another person in the wagon I was in was looking at me.

"Hey, you. You're finally awake."

I blinked at the blond stranger. His accent was Nordic.

"You were trying to cross the border, right? Walked right into that Imperial ambush, same as us, and that thief over there."

I looked to the right of me and saw another two people. The one next to me was gagged and had a sense of authority and mystery about him. He looked at me and his eyes showed a cold hate that I somehow felt was directed towards me. The other was nervous looking and had sick expression on his face.

"Damn you Stormcloaks," the thief said, "Skyrim was fine until you came along. Empire was nice and lazy."

Of course, why hadn't I realised? Cold, mountains and Nordic accents. I was well indeed in Skyrim. The thief carried on talking.

"If they hadn't been looking for you, I could've stolen that horse and be halfway to Hammerfell," he complained, "You there. You and me – we shouldn't be here. It's the Stormcloaks the Empire wants."

"We're all brothers and sisters in binds now, thief," the blond Nord said.

"Shut up back there!" the Imperial driver of the cart snapped. There was silence for moment until the thief looked to the prisoner directly across from him and next to me, the one with cold eyes.

"What's wrong with him, huh?"

"Watch your tongue. You're speaking to Ulfric Stormcloak, the true High King," Ralof retorted. He obviously seemed to feel some form of patriotism for this Ulfric person.

"Ulfric? The Jarl of Windhelm? You're the leader of the rebellion!" the thief said, surprised, "but if they've captured you...oh gods, where are they taking us?"

"I don't know where we're going, but Sovengarde awaits," Ralof replied, solemnly. I didn't know what Sovengarde was, but it didn't sound good. It was then that the thief started freaking out.

"No, this can't be happening, this isn't happening!"

"Hey, what village are you from horse thief?

"Why do you care?" he asked.

"A Nord's last thoughts should be of home."

"Oh. Rorikstead. I'm...I'm from Rorikstead."

"And you?" Ralof asked me.

"I'm not a Nord. I do not know what my last thoughts are of."

"Tell me then. I'm curious. What goes through the mind of an Imperial before they die?"

I paused. The Nord had asked the question with genuine interest. He didn't seem to be as hostile to me as Ulfric.

"Well. I'm thinking about how I can get out of this situation. How I can prevent these from actually being my last thoughts, but that might just be me. But if it truly turns out to be the end, then I suppose I would think of my family." I said, with a surprising hint of sadness as I suddenly recalled memories of years far back. He nodded.

"What's your name?" he asked with a touch of sympathy.

"Krasva. Yours?"

"Ralof."

"General Tullius, sir! The headsman is waiting!" the head of the Imperial column shouted. The soldier on the horse who had been riding behind spurred up beside our cart where for a moment I thought he gave Ralof a sideways glance. It was only for a moment though as he briefly talked to the driver of our cart before returning to his previous position.

"Good. Let's get this over with," someone replied, who was probably the general. We were entering a small town with stone walls and huts with thatched roofs. The thief started praying desperately to a set of gods who were vaguely familiar to me.

"Shor, Mara, Dibella, Kynareth, Akatosh. Divines, please help me."

Ralof remained calm though, and looked over to the horse-mounted general.

"Look at him, General Tullius the Military Govenor. And it looks like the Thalmor are with him. Damn elves. I bet they had something to do with this," Ralof said, bitterly. Thalmor. Now there was a word I recognised. I had had dealings with the high elves a couple of times before back in Cyrodiil.

"This is Helgen. I used to be sweet on a girl from here. Wonder if Vilod is still making that mead with juniper berries mixed in," Ralof reminisced. It was at this moment I started to feel sick myself, as the realisation of what was about to happen really started to sink in.

"Funny, when I was a boy, Imperial walls and towers used to make me feel so safe," Ralof continued. It felt like he was talking to himself now, thinking about past experiences. I looked around and saw a young boy tug at his father's tunic,

"Who are they, daddy? Where are they going?" he asked.

"You need to go inside, little cub," he said, ushering his son inside.

"Why? I want to watch the soldiers," the boy protested.

"Inside the house. Now." The father demanded. I didn't see if the boy went inside or not, as the cart was pulling to a stop in front of a stone tower. Imperial soldiers were everywhere. Tullius was standing to the side, while what looked like a captain shouted orders.

"Why are we stopping?" the thief asked.

"Why do you think? End of the line," Ralof said, still as calm and collected as ever. The cart finally came to a complete halt.

"Let's go. Shouldn't keep the gods waiting for us."

The thief started up again, this time pleading to the soldiers rather than the gods.

"No! Wait! We're not rebels!"

"Face your death with some courage, thief," Ralof said. We jumped down from the wooden back.

"You've got to tell them! We weren't with you! This is a mistake!" the thief pleaded to Ralof this time. Ralof ignored him. In front of us was the female Imperial captain, outfitted in extravagant armour.

"Step towards the block when we call your name. One at a time!" the captain shouted. As bad as Ralof had made these soldiers look, they seemed very organised. The soldier who was riding behind us before now stood next to the captain with a quill and a small book.

"Empire loves their damn lists," Ralof said with contempt. The Imperial looked down to his book.

"Ulfric Stormcloak, Jarl of Windhelm," he read out. He had a distinctive, somewhat sexy accent. Ulfric stepped forward and moved towards the block, not without first giving the Imperials an ice-cold look.

"It has been and honour, Jarl Ulfric," Ralof said graciously.

"Ralof of Riverwood."

I found myself feeling surprisingly sad as I watched Ralof walked over to join the rest of the doomed prisoners

"Lokir of Rorikstead."

Lokir stepped forward and started to plea, yet again.

"No, I'm not a rebel! You can't do this!" he shouted. With that he started to make a break for it down the road.

"Halt!" the captain shouted. Lokir kept running

"You're not going to kill me!

"Archers!"

I cringed as Lokir had about a dozen arrows shot into him.

"Anyone else feel like running?" she said. After everyone's attention was reverted back to the execution, the soldier with the book looked up at me.

"Wait. You there. Step forward."

"Who are you?

"Krasva of...um...Cyrodiil?"

"You picked a bad time to come to Skyim, Imperial."

The soldier looked to the captain.

"Captain. What should we do? She's not on the list," he said.

"Forget the list, she goes to the block," she said and walked off.

"I'm sorry. We'll make sure your body is returned to Cyrodiil." the soldier said, with surprising sincerity. I moved into the group and stood next to Ralof. General Tullius was now standing in front of Ulfric and the two enemies looked at each other menacingly.

"Ulfric Stormcloak. Some here in Helgen call you a hero. But a hero doesn't use a power like the Voice to murder his king and usurp his throne. Ulfric emitted a muffled grunt from underneath his gag.

"You started this war, plunged Skyrim into chaos, and now the Empire is going to put you down and restore the peace." Just as Tullius finished, a strange, distant roar echoed around the mountains above us.

"What was that? I heard the soldier with the accent ask.

"It's nothing. Carry on..." Tullius ordered.

"Yes, General Tullius. Give them their last rights," the captain said to a waiting priestress,

Did Tullius know what that was or was he just keen to get this over with?

"As we commend your souls to Aetherius, blessings of the Eight Divines upon you, for you are the salt and earth of Nirn, our beloved..."

"For the love of Talos, shut up and let's get this over with," a red-haired Stormcloak said, stepping forward. It seemed that Stormcloak and Imperial didn't see eye to eye on religion.

"As you wish," the priestess snapped back at him.

"Come on, I haven't got all morning," the Stormcloak continued. The captain pushed him to the ground and forced his head onto the block with her foot.

"My ancestors are smiling at me, Imperials. Can you say the same?"

The executioner raised his huge double-handed axe into the air, and then brought it down in a clear stroke that cleaved the man's red-haired head right off his shoulders. The captain pushed the lifeless body aside.

"You Imperial bastards!" a female Stormcloak shouted from somewhere in the group.

"Justice!" someone else shouted nearby.

"Death to the Stormcloaks!" shouted someone else.

"As fearless in death as he was in life," Ralof said. I looked at Ralof, his eyes full of sadness. He knew that man well it seemed. I looked the my left. The Imperial soldier was standing next to me. He looked back at me, with an awkward, yet comforting smile.

"Next, the Imperi..." the captain was cut off by the roar that we had heard before, except this time it was louder, and closer.

"There it is again. Did you hear that?"

"I said, next prisoner!" the captain shouted at the soldier. I swallowed nervously. The soldier sensed my nerves.

"To the block, prisoner. Nice and easy."

I stepped forward, heart beating a million miles an hour. This was it, this was the end. The soldier walked forward as well, and stood in front of the block. He gave me that awkward smile on last time before the captain shoved me down onto the block. I flinched as I felt the still warm blood of the last prisoner on my neck. I looked to the side where I could see the buildings and mountains beyond. I didn't want to close my eyes; I wanted every last second of life I could get. I saw the executioner go to raise his axe and prepared myself for death.

But as he did, a huge shape fell from the sky and landed on the building behind us. The force of it landing made the executioner drop his axe.

"What in Oblivion is that!"

With a start I realised what it was even before someone called it out.

"Dragon!"

I went to stand up but the dragon let out a burst of force and flames that engulfed the entire town and threw me back down to the ground. The soldier ran forward, sword drawn as I got up to run. All thoughts of the execution were abandoned as everyone's attention was focused on the dragon and the dark swirling clouds above it. It let out another burst of force that blurred my vision as I felt something about this beast, like I should do something about it.

"Krasva! Get up! Come on, the gods won't give us another chance!" I heard someone shout. It was Ralof, motioning me to follow him into the keep.

"This way!"

I ran after him inside the stone tower and just before he slammed the door behind me I saw the burning ruins of a village that had been pristine a few moments ago. There was a dead soldier and a wounded Stormcloak inside, as well as Ulfric who had discarded his gag.

"Jarl Ulfric! What is that thing? Could the legends be true?" Ralof panted.

"Legends don't burn down villages," Ulfric said. His voice was deep and commanding, and I thought for a second that maybe he would be a good king with a voice like that. Another roar came from outside.

"We need to move, now!" Ulfric commanded.

"Up through the tower, let's go!" Ralof said. I ran up the spiralling stairs and saw the top blocked off. There was a Stormcloak trying to shift the rocks.

"We just need to move..."

As I stood there the dragon burst through the wall, knocking me to the ground. Clinging to the edge of the tower, the dragon stuck its head inside and let forth a torrent of fire. For some reason, I didn't just hear a roar, I heard words.

"Yul toor shul!"

"Get back!"

I barely had time to dive behind cover. As abruptly as it had crashed in, the dragon flew off. Ralof stood back up.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Fine," I said, standing up, "as fine as anyone who was just attacked by a dragon could be."

"Good. See the inn on the other side? Jump through the roof and keep going!"

"What about you?"

"I'll catch up."

"Be careful!"

"Go! We'll follow when we can!"

I jumped on the ruined second floor of what used to be an inn. I jumped down onto the ground level and made the mistake of running out into the open. I heard shouting nearby. Someone grabbed my arm. It was the Imperial soldier who had been calling the names out before. He was helping a family take shelter from the dragon.

"Hamming, you need to get over here. Now!" the soldier shouted. The young boy who had wanted to watch the soldiers ran over to the soldier, terrified and slightly injured.

"That a boy, you're doing great"

Just as the boy ran over, I heard the words of fire again.

"Yul toor shul!"

The flames leaped out from the dragon's mouth and straight onto the soldier who was protecting the child.

"Gods!" he swore, "everyone get back!"

I had a new found respect for these soldiers. They were trying to get the people to safety. The Stormcloaks were running away and scrambling over walls. The soldier gave the child to his father. Satisfied they were safe for now he turned to me.

"Still alive, prisoner? Keep close to me if you want to stay that way."

He turned back to the man and the frightened boy,

"Gunnar, take care of the boy. I have to find General Tullius and join the defense."

Again, where the Stormcloaks flee, the Imperials wanted to protect the town.

"Gods guide you, Hadvar."

So this mysterious soldier's name was Hadvar. He motion for me to follow him. I hesitated, but realised he had a sword so I followed him. Making a dash across the open, we ran into a shadowed alleyway.

"Stay close to the wall!"

I flattened myself against the wall, and it was lucky I did as the dragon landed on top of it and its deadly spiked wings engulfed the alleyway.

"Yol toor shul!" it roared again.

"Quickly, follow me!" Hadvar shouted, and again we made a mad dash through the chaos. People were falling dead to the ground all over the place.

"It's you and me prisoner. Stay close!"

I wish he'd stop calling me prisoner. As we ran towards the keep, I saw Ralof run towards us.

"Ralof you damn traitor! Out of the way!" Hadvar shouted.

"We're escaping Hadvar! You're not stopping us this time!" Ralof yelled back.

"Fine! I hope that dragon takes you all to Sovengarde!"

My suspicions that they knew each other were true. But they were obviously not on good terms with each other.

"You! Come on! Into the keep!" Ralof shouted at me.

"No! Come with me prisoner! Let's go!" Hadvar shouted also. I was torn for a second. Hadvar seemed like a pretty decent Nord, but so was Ralof, and we knew each other better. Wiping Hadvar's awkward smile out of my head, I ran with Ralof into the keep. He threw the doors open and we ran inside. Bolting the doors behind him, Ralof and I finally had a chance to catch our breath. I noticed a dead Stormcloak on the floor, and Ralof was kneeling over him.

"We'll meet again in Sovengarde brother," he murmured, then stood up.

"Looks like we're the only ones who made it," Ralof said, "That thing was a dragon. No doubt. Just like the children's stories and the legends. The harbingers of the End Times."

"Looks like I chose a bad time to come to Skyrim," I replied.

"You sure did. Now we better get moving. Come here, let me see if I can get those bindings off."

He cut through the loose ropes with his knife and I rubbed my sore wrists.

"There you go. You may as well take Gunjar's gear. He won't be needing it anymore."

I nodded and removed the blue and brown cuirass and took his axe.

"All right, get that armour on and give that axe a few swings. I'm going to see if I can find some way out of here."

"Don't look," I said as I pulled my tunic off. Ralof chuckled and turned away. The cuirass fit surprisingly well and it felt good to have a weapon in my hands. The first gate was locked and so was the other.

"Damn. No way to open this from our side."

"Crap, we're stuck in a godforsaken tower with a godforsaken dragon outside," I said, swinging the axe around.

"It's the Imperials! Take cover!"

The Imperials lowered the gate and Ralof and I pounced.

"Don't let those Stormcloaks get away!" the captain shouted

But we took them by surprise and killed the two foot soldiers. The captain was a fierce opponent but Ralof and I managed to take her down. We took her key and opened the opposite gate.

"Come on, let's get out of here before the dragon brings down the whole tower on our heads!"

As if on cue, the floor shuddered and I heard a muffled roar from outside. We continued down into the deep of the keep when we found a long hallway. Hadvar and some soldiers were at the other end but suddenly the stone ceiling collapsed and a ton of rocks fell, blocking our path.

"Damn, that dragon doesn't give up easy," Ralof said as he forced open a wooden door nearby. As he did, an Imperial jumped out.

"You won't leave Helgen alive!" he shouted. Why was everyone around here so obsessed with killing us?

The Imperial was alone and outnumbered so he didn't hinder out progress too much. Once we'd finished with him, Ralof looked around the room we found ourselves in.

"A Storeroom. See if you can find any potions. We'll need them."

I rummaged through the barrels and found a couple of potions. Health potions were an important factor of survival in Tamriel, and I knew how important they became in battle.

Ralof was a little bit ahead of me and I heard him swear from the flight of stairs down.

"A torture room!"

I ran down the stairs to find him. A torture room filled with Imperials too. As well as an Imperial torturer. We fought them but it was hard as there were more of them than us. I nearly swung my axe at another person but stopped when I realised it was a Stormcloak. A female with blond hair. I was noticing that a lot of Nords had blond hair.

"Was Jarl Ulfric with you? Ralof asked.

"No, I haven't seen him since the dragon showed up."

The two of them went to move off, but a glint of something in one of the cages caught my eye, and my inner treasure hunter couldn't resist.

"Wait a second. Look, there's something in this cage."

I found some picks in the chamber and went to work. I made swift business of the lock. I was good at lock picking as I had had plenty of training earning some of my less than legal profits. As the door swung open, I grabbed the money inside. I didn't know about Skyrim, but in Cyrodiil, money was everything so every coin counted. As we continued on, it got darker as we reached the less travelled areas of the keep.

"Better stick together down here," Ralof shouted from in front. There was a large hole in the wall that lead into a natural stone tunnel. I could hear rushing water from somewhere down the tunnel. It lead out into a large underground cave where we found, yet again, more Imperials. Now our group was strengthened to three, we made swift progress. One of the Imperials had a bow and some arrows. I snatched them up quickly and clipped my axe to my side. While axes were good, I was a natural archer and the bow was my preferred weapon. As we continued forward, we saw the obvious end of the keep's dungeons. An underground river ran through an even larger cavern than the one before. Following the water, we encountered no more Imperials, just a few giant spiders. Skyrim was getting weirder and weirder by the second.

"I hate those damn things. To many eyes, you know," Ralof commented. We carried on and eventually found a crack in the stone wall that was out exit.

"Finally! I knew we'd make it through," Ralof said happily. We squeezed through the crack and I blinked at the harsh sunlight as we exited the gloomy cave. I gasped. We were low down on a rocky, snow covered mountain which was covered in snow capped pine trees. The air was fresh and clear and I looked down into the valley below. A crystal river ran through the trees into huge glistening lake and the entire scene was framed with tall snowy mountains.

"Wow," I said, "it's beautiful."

"Welcome to Skyrim."


	2. Chapter 2 Before the Storm

Chapter Two

Before the Storm

"Wait!" Ralof shouted. I stopped in my tracks as he watched the dragon that had massacred Helgen flew off into the distance and landed on some sort of barrow on a mountain.

"There he goes. Looks like he's gone for good this time," Ralof said, rising.

"Come on," Ralof said, "My sister lives in the village not too far from here."

The other Stormcloak turned towards us,

"I'll be heading to Falkreath to the south. Ralof, hopefully I'll be seeing you in Windhelm. And...Krasva, was it? Maybe I'll see you there too if not, Talos watch you."

"Umm, Talos watch you too?" I said uncertainly. Ralof laughed.

"You Imperials really need to learn about the world more."

We farewelled the female Stormcloak when we came down through the trees and onto the cross road. I saw a sign that said Falkreath was to the south, Whiterun and Riverwood to the north and Helgen to the east. We obviously didn't want to go back to Helgen.

"Well Krasva, it's up to you now. If you go to Falkreath and then onto Markarth, I'm sure you'd be able to get a transport back to Cyrodiil. Or you could come with me to Riverwood. But I'm sure you're eager to get back to the Imperial city. Skyrim isn't in great shape these days. But whatever you decide, you should decide quickly. This place is going to be swarming with Imperials soon enough."

I contemplated my choices. While my small home was indeed in a forest near Cyrodiil, and all my possessions...and loot...were there, my sense of adventure was overwhelming me. I had suffered some losses back home and my gold supply was not as strong as it once had been and I was faced with having to actually sell that home. But here I was in Skyrim, a whole land filled with opportunities. I could buy a new house here and start up life and make it better than my failing life in Cyrodiil. And it seemed Ralof and this town called Riverwood were the key to starting this adventure.

"I'll come with you," I decided.

"Good. I was actually hoping you'd say that. I wouldn't mind a bit of company on the way back to Windhelm. My sister Gerdur runs the mill back in Riverwood, just up the road. I'm sure she'd help you out." We walked a bit more in silence, but then Ralof spoke up again.

"You know, you should go to Windhelm and join the fight to free Skyrim. You've seen the true face of the Empire here today." He was taking a dangerous move, saying such things about the Empire to an Imperial. But everyone was to their own I thought.

"If anyone will know what the coming of the dragon means, it's Ulfric."

"We don't even know if he made it out alive."

"He's a fighter. I'm sure he did."

"So, any interesting locations around here Ralof?" I said, eager to learn about this new land.

"I wouldn't say interesting locations, but see that up there? It's Bleak Falls Barrow. I never understood how my sister could stand living in the shadow of that place. I guess you get used to it." I looked to where he had pointed. A crumbling and eerie ruin sat on top of the mountain. The same place the dragon had fled to. I noticed something next to the road, and walked over to it. It was a raised stone platform with three small pillars.

"These are the Guardian Stones, three of the thirteen ancient standing stones that dot Skryim's landscape. They offer their...magical blessings to those who seek it. Go ahead, see for yourself." I looked at each one. One had a mage carved onto it, the other a warrior and the other a thief.

"What do they do?" I asked.

"Those who accept the sign of the mage wield their magic greater. Those who accept the sign of the warrior show more strength in battle. Those who accept the sign of the thief are better at remaining undetected. I myself accepted the sign of the warrior."

I knew right away which one I wanted. I placed my hand on the thief stone and immediately I felt a jolt through my body and a jet of blue light shot up into the air.

"Thief eh? It's never too late to change your own fate, you know?" Ralof said. I was unsure what he meant by that. We continued down the road. It was beautiful walking by the river. Soon we approached a small village, obviously Riverwood. It seemed strangely calm in the wake of what had just happened.

"Looks like nobody here knows what's happened yet. Come on. Gerdur's probably working in her lumber mill," Ralof said, reflecting my thoughts. I heard an old lady somewhere nearby exclaim about a dragon. Perhaps some did know what happened.

"Gerdur!" Ralof shouted happily.

"Brother! Mara's mercy, it's good to see you!" his sister replied just as happily, "but is it safe for you to be here? We heard that Ulfric had been captured..."

"Gerdur, I'm fine. At least now I am," he said, cutting her worry off. But she just came back.

"Are you hurt? What's happened? And who's this? One of your comrades, or...someone else?" she said, eyeing me, interested.

"Not a comrade yet, but a friend. I owe her my life, in fact," Ralof said. He paused for a moment and then continued in a softer tone, "Is there somewhere we can talk? There's no telling when the news from Helgen will reach the Imperials."

"Helgen? Has something happened?" Gerdur asked, "You're right. Follow me."

Gerdur turned around, "Hod! Come here a minute. I need your help with something," she shouted to a man up on the mill.

"Ralof? What are you doing here? I...I'll be right down!" he shouted back. As we waited for Hod, a young boy and a dog came running up to Ralof.

"Uncle Ralof! Can I see your axe? How many Imperials have you killed? Do you really know Ulfric Stormcloak?" he said enthusiastically.

"Hush, Frodnar. This is no time for your games," Gerdur instructed, not unkindly, but serious, "Go and watch the south road. Come find us if you see any Imperial soldiers coming."

"Aw, mama, I want to stay and talk with Uncle Ralof," Frodnar protested. Gerdur went to argue, but Ralof stepped forward, "Look at you, almost a grown man! Won't be long before you'll be joining the fight yourself!"

That seemed to convince him, "That's right! Don't worry, Uncle Ralof, I won't let those soldiers sneak up on you."

After Frodnar and his dog had run off to the south gate, Hod walked up to us.

"Now, Ralof, what's going on? You two look pretty well done in."

"I can't remember when I last slept," Ralof said. Now he mentioned it, I realised that he did look very tired. But he sighed and kept going.

"Where to start? We'll, the news about Ulfric was true. The Imperials ambushed us outside Darkwater Crossing. Like they knew exactly where we'd be. That was...two days ago now."

I remembered it now, a place called Darkwater crossing. I had been fleeing from something, I couldn't remember what, but I had stolen some things and I must have unknowingly crossed the border and gotten caught up in the ambush.

"We stopped in Helgen this morning, and I thought it was all over. Had us lined up to the headsman's block and ready to start chopping," Ralod continued.

"The cowards!" Gerdur interjected.

"They wouldn't dare give Ulfric a fair trial. Treason, for fighting for your own people! All of Skyrim would have seen the truth then. But then...out of nowhere...a dragon attacked."

"You don't mean...a real, live..."

"I can hardly believe it myself, and I was there. As strange as it sounds, we'd be dead if not for that dragon. In the confusion, we managed to slip away."

Both Gerdur and Hod shook their heads in disbelief. Ralof looked to the road that lead back to Helgen.

"Are we really the first to make it to Riverwood?"

"Nobody else has come up the south road today, as far as I know."

"Good. Maybe we can lay up for a while. I hate to put our family in danger Gerdur, but..."

"Nonsense! You and your friend are welcome to stay here as long as you need to. Let me worry about the Imperials."

"That is if Alvor and Sigrid's nephew doesn't bring any of his Imperial friends..." Hod muttered. I heard him, but he was unnoticed.

"Any friend of Ralof is a friend of mine," Gerdur continued, moving toward me. She gave me a key.

"Here's a key to the house. Stay as long as you like. If there's anything else you need, just let me know. But there is something you could do for me. For all of us here."

"Yes?" I said uncertainly. I could see my plans of lazily holidaying in the little village next to the beautiful river unravelling.

"The Jarl needs to know if there's a dragon on the loose. Riverwood is defenceless. We need to get word to Jarl Balgruuf in Whiterun to send whatever troops he can. If you'll do that for me, I'll be in your debt."

"Okay, I can do that. I leave tomorrow morning."

"Thanks, sister. I knew we could count on you," Ralof said.

"I ought to get back to work before I'm missed, but...did anyone else escape? Did Ulfric?

"Don't worry. I'm sure he made it out. It'll take more than a dragon to stop Ulfric Stormcloak."

There was a moment of silence, but Hod broke it.

"I'll let them into the house and, you know, show them where everything is," he said.

"Hmph. Help them drink up our mead, you mean," Gerdur said with a sidelong look to Hod. She hugged Ralof,

"Good luck, brother. I'll see you later."

"Don't worry about me. I know how to lay low,"

At that moment, Frodnar ran up to us.

"Imperials!"

I darted behind the mill and Ralof dived behind a tree stump quite ungracefully. The Imperials were on horseback and galloped through the town without stopping. Once they were long gone, Ralof got up and brushed the dirt off himself. Gerdur laughed.

"You know how to lay low indeed!"

Later on, Ralof and I were eating a very nice meal in Gerdur's house. We ate silently but not because there was nothing to talk about, we ate silently because we were so famished we were shoving food into our mouths before we had even swallowed the last mouthful. Eventually we managed to polish off the whole meal and Ralof poured out some ale.

"I told you my sister would help us out," he said.

"I'm very grateful. This is certainly better than some old inn in some city I don't know. One thing though Ralof, how do you know Hadvar?"

Ralof's eyes darkened at the mention of the Imperial soldier.

"He grew up in Riverwood as well. His parents died when he was young so his aunt and uncle raised him .Alvor and Sigrid run the forge. We were close childhood friends, him and I. But when the hostilities started, I chose the Stormcloaks and he chose the Imperials. Damn traitor."

"Maybe he had his reasons," I replied.

"Bah. All Nord's should be fighting for Ulfric, he stands up for what all Nords stand for. The Imperials just care about their own kind and a handful of Nords who they think are worthwhile."

"Won't it be hard for me to join the Stormcloaks then? I'm not exactly a Nord."

"Anyone can become a Stormcloak. As long as they believe in a prosperous and united Skyrim."

"And the Imperials don't want that?"

"Well, they...they want...they want Skyrim to be just another one of their provinces."

"Isn't it?"

"Damn it Krasva, the Imperials ruined everything!" Ralof shouted. I recoiled and immediately Ralof looked apologetic.

"I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have yelled," he said,

"Don't worry about it. It's obvious that this is an issue close to your heart."

"Come on. I've got some Spice Wine downstairs. Let's go out and drink it by the river. It is a beautiful night," Ralof suggested. I was hesitant at first, but I was glad I did once we sat on the edge of a small board walk that jutted over the river. We drank Spiced wine and watched the lunar moths and fireflies dance over the running water. An onlooker would say it looked romantic, but Ralof and I both knew that this was just two people sharing a drink. Two friends talking by the side of the river.

I slept well that night and woke in the morning feeling refreshed. Gerdur had leant me some clothes for the night and in the morning I changed back into my cuirass.

"You might want to get some different armour. That's Stormcloak armour you're wearing. Any Imperial that sees you might not hesitate to attack."

"I'll pick up some armour in Whiterun once I have the money. Also, how do you get there?"

"Here," Ralof said, handing me a leather pouch, "200 gold to get you started. Follow the road north. It's hard to miss/"

"Thanks Ralof. Well, I best be off then," I said. Ralof looked awkward as he held out his hand for a handshake, but I ignored it and went for a hug. It felt more natural.

"We're friends, remember?"

"Of course. Well, I hope to see you in Windhelm. Good luck."

I farewelled Ralof and left the small village. After crossing the bridge I found myself on a quaint cobblestone path by the river. A deer bounded across the path and I was tempted to go after it with my bow and arrow, but I realised if I did I would almost indefinitely get lost. It was a fair hike to the city I realised after a while, even though it was a beautiful walk. Thankfully, the path started to slope downhill and wound back and forth. Ralof was right, I noticed the city while I was still a fair way off. The road sloped down the rocky hill and crossed back over the river and right up to the large stone walls that surrounded the city. The most striking feature was a large rocky formation with a large castle-like building built on it. As I approached the city I heard a roar behind me. I whipped around and saw a giant angrily flailing a huge wooden club. I ducked and darted away from the enraged creature. I whipped out my bow and let forth a couple of arrows in quick succession. The arrows were simple iron, but they drove home. The giant roared one last time and fell to the ground. As the giant hit the ground, I saw three people standing behind it. There were two women and a man. The first was slight and brown skinned. The man was strong looking and clad in steel armour. Black hair flopped over his shoulders and he clutched a huge great-sword. The third was tall and well built and wore slightly revealing scant armour in my opinion, even though it looked like it could hold its own. Her most striking feature was her strawberry blonde hair and blue war paint on her face in the shape of three slashes. She stepped towards me.

"You handle yourself well. You could make for a decent Shield-Sister."

I had no idea what she was talking about. Perhaps this was a Skryim-unique term.

"What's a Shield-Sister?" I asked.

"An outsider, eh? Never heard of the Companions?"

I shook my head.

"We're an order or warriors. We are brothers and sisters in honour. And we show up to solve problems if the coin is good enough."

It sounded like an adventure waiting to happen. With coin in it too.

"Can I join you?"

"Not for me to say. You'll have to talk to Kodlak Whitemane up at Jovaskar. The old man's got a good sense for people. He can look in your eyes and tell your worth. If you go to him, good luck."

With that, she walked off with the other two. I watched them go, as I was still pondering what she said. Was this Whitemane person going to decide if I could be a Companion just by looking into my eyes? Skyrim was indeed a weird place. As I made my way to the city, I realised it was night-time and I was worried that the gates would be closed. My heart sank as I saw that they were.. A guard dressed in a yellow cuirass moved in front of me.

"Halt! City's closed with the dragons about. Official business only."

"I have news from Helgen about the dragon attack. And Riverwood calls for aid," I persuaded.

"Fine, but we'll be keeping an eye on you," he said, reluctantly opening the gates. Was I really such a shifty looking person? I entered the city and looked around. All the buildings were a combination of stone and wood, with wooden dragon heads carved on many of the roofs. It was late; I hoped that the Jarl would still be awake. I made my way up the hill on which the city was situated to a huge wooden palace on the peak. As I pushed open the wooden doors and snuck in, I realised I had arrived at a bad time. I found myself in a high-ceilinged hall with a roaring fire pit in the middle, bordered by tables. The Jarl sat on a throne at the back wall, and appeared to be in a heated discussion with what could be his steward. I snuck forward. No one had noticed me yet.

"I only counsel caution. We cannot afford to act rashly in times like these."

While I stood there looking a little foolish, a dark elf came up to me, sword drawn.

"What's the meaning of this interruption? Jarl Balgruuf is not receiving visitors," she commanded.

"I have news from Helgen about the dragon attack," I said, repeating myself from before, "and Riverwood calls for aid."

"As housecarl, my job is to deal with all dangers that threaten the Jarl or his people. So you have my attention. Now, explain yourself," she demanded. I thought I already did.

"A dragon has destroyed Helgen," I said. I assumed however that the Imperials, or these Stormcloaks would already have told the Jarl.

"You know about Helgen? The Jarl will want to speak to you personally. Approach."

I stood in front of the Jarl and I felt a little nervous. Usually when I was standing in front of people in command, we weren't usually on good terms.

"So, you were at Helgen? You saw this dragon with your own eyes?"

I was expecting this Jarl to have the deep and harsh voice of Ulfric. But he had kinder, more understanding tone. It made me confident to speak with him.

"The dragon destroyed Helgen and last I saw it was heading this way. I had a great view while the Imperials were trying to cut off my head," I said, accidently throwing in the last comment. Balgruuf chuckled with disapproving looks from his steward.

"You are certainly open about your convictions. But what business with the Imperials had with you is not important now, but by Ysmir, Irileth was right! What do you say now Proventus? Shall we continue to trust in the strength of our walls? Against a dragon?"

"My lord," Irileth politely interrupted, "we should send troops to Riverwood at once. It's in the most immediate danger, if that dragon is lurking in the mountains."

"The Jarl of Falkreath will view that as a provocation! He'll assume we're preparing to join Ulfric's side and attack him," the steward warned, "We should not..."

"Enough!" the Jarl commanded, "I'll not stand idly by while a dragon burns my hold and slaughters my people! Irileth, send a detachment to Riverwood at once."

"Yes my Jarl," with that, she left the room.

"If you'll excuse me, I'll return to my duties," Proventus said, leaving the room also. That left me and Jarl Balgruuf mostly alone, and I felt awkward again.

"Well done. You sought me out, on your own initiative. You've done Whiterun a service, and I won't forget it. Here, take this as a small token of my esteem," he said, waving forward a guard. The guard gave me a fine set of leather armour.

"And...there is another thing you could do for me. Suitable for someone of your particular talents perhaps?"

Oh no, I thought. Another quest, another adventure. But then again, wasn't that what I was looking for here in Skyrim?


End file.
